Kentia Palm (Howea forsteriana)

The Kentia Palm, one of the world's most sought after horticultural palms, is indigenous to the tiny Lord Howe Island off the NSW coast. Incidentally a significant seedling export industry has grown on the island with the Lord Howe Island Board Nursery producing over a million seedlings per year since the 1980's.  This nursery is the only place in the world where seeds are still collected from the wild, meaning seedlings produced on Lord Howe Island are first generation palms.

Description

The Kentia palm has a slender trunk, greyish in colour with prominent rings, it grows to height of anywhere from 5 to 15 metres. It has lush feathery, slightly drooping leaves which are dark green on both upper and lower surfaces. Flowers are long and pendulous and can be 1m long, these produce fruit about 3-5cm long with hard brown and red casings.

Care

Kentias like a well drained soil enriched with plenty of organic matter, they will tolerate direct sunlight but only after about 5 years of age, younger plants need protection. Fertilise with a general purpose slow release fertiliser twice a year and water regularly with a liquid such as maxicrop or harvest throughout the warm seasons. Kentias are extremely tolerant and need little too no maintenance which is why they are incredibly popular as house plants through Europe and most of the world. They will withstand fairly dark positions or dry soil and will grow happily for years and years in the same pot. Give Kentia palms a break every now and then by taking them outside to a shady spot in the garden for a few weeks.

uses

Most commonly grown as a pot plant indoors, Kentias have been grown in Europe since the 1850's and adorned many hallways and ballrooms of the aristocracy. They are also happy growing in containers in courtyards or on verandas. Kentia Palms are also suitable for garden planting and can be grown quite happily in the cooler climates of Sydney and Melbourne, even tolerate light frosts. For the best effect in the garden, plant Kentias in a mixed setting with other small palms.